In a stark update on the deteriorating condition of our planet, an international assembly of climate experts has reported that the Earth’s vital signs have declined to levels never before witnessed in human history. This critical state threatens the very fabric of life on our planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unprecedented-scientific-consensus">Unprecedented scientific consensus</h2>



Led by William Ripple, a prominent figure from the Oregon State University <a href="https://www.forestry.oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">College of Forestry</a>, and Christopher Wolf, formerly associated with OSU, a team comprising 12 scientists has delivered a grim prognosis on Earth&#8217;s vital signs in their paper published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/biosci/biad080" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BioScience</a>. 



Titled &#8220;The 2023 State of the climate report: Entering uncharted territory,&#8221; the study underscores that a staggering 20 out of 35 planetary vital signs used as barometers for climate health have hit record extremes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-on-the-brink">World on the brink</h2>



&#8220;Without decisive steps to address the fundamental issue of humanity&#8217;s overconsumption of the Earth&#8217;s resources, we are navigating towards the potential disintegration of natural and socioeconomic systems,&#8221; Wolf stated, painting a picture of a future marred by intolerable heat, food scarcity, and water shortages.



The authors highlight alarming data from 2023, pointing out that numerous records related to climate and Earth&#8217;s vital signs have been shattered &#8220;by enormous margins.&#8221; This includes unprecedented ocean temperatures, drastic reductions in sea ice, and an extraordinary Canadian wildfire season contributing to record levels of carbon dioxide emissions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-echoes-of-past-warnings">Echoes of past warnings</h2>



This report is not the first of its kind. It follows a significant &#8220;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-pushed-earth-to-code-red/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency</a>&#8221; published four years ago, where Ripple, alongside other collaborators, received support from over 15,000 scientists from 161 countries. 



Despite these earlier calls to action, little progress has been made, with Ripple emphasizing, &#8220;Life on our planet is unmistakably under assault.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alarming-climate-health-statistics">Alarming climate health statistics</h2>



The report lays bare several shocking statistics that outline why Earth&#8217;s vital signs are at an all-time low.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-chief-fossil-fuel-era-must-end-for-humanitys-survival/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fossil fuel</a> subsidies saw a staggering increase from $531 billion to over $1 trillion between 2021 and 2022, incentivizing harmful emissions. </li>



<li><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-amplify-risks-for-socially-vulnerable-populations-in-western-states/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wildfires</a> in Canada alone have already contributed more than 1 gigaton of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2023, surpassing the nation&#8217;s total greenhouse gas emissions the previous year. </li>



<li>A concerning trend in global temperature rise, with 38 days already recorded where temperatures were more than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/limiting-global-warming-to-1-5-degrees-celsius-would-save-billions-of-lives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1.5 degrees Celsius</a> above pre-industrial levels. </li>



<li>July experienced the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/july-was-earths-hottest-month-in-120000-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">highest average</a> Earth surface temperature on record, likely the most extreme in the last 100,000 years.</li>
</ul>



Wolf expressed deep concern, stating, &#8220;As scientists, the sudden escalation in the frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters is deeply unsettling.&#8221;



The study cautions that these disasters&#8217; frequency and intensity might even be accelerating faster than temperature rises. The paper forecasts a dire future, where 3 to 6 billion people will find themselves in uninhabitable conditions by the end of this century.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-vital-signs-need-transformative-policies">Earth&#8217;s vital signs need transformative policies</h2>



The scientific community is advocating for policies that address &#8220;ecological overshoot,&#8221; a scenario where humanity&#8217;s demands exceed the Earth&#8217;s capacity, resulting in numerous environmental crises, including a decline in biodiversity.



They argue that solutions focusing solely on carbon or climate will fall short of repairing Earth&#8217;s vital signs unless the overarching pressures on global systems are alleviated. As Ripple puts it, the scientific community has a &#8220;moral duty&#8221; to guide humanity away from potential existential threats and lead action-driven dialogues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-steering-towards-a-just-sustainable-future">Steering towards a just, sustainable future</h2>



The paper calls for a comprehensive overhaul of global economic practices. The authors of the study urge a transition that foregrounds human well-being, curtails excessive consumption, and drastically reduces affluent populations&#8217; emissions.



Key policy recommendations to reverse the decline of Earth&#8217;s vital signs include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies. </li>



<li>Encouraging shifts towards plant-based diets. </li>



<li>Amplifying efforts to protect global forest areas. </li>



<li>Establishing international treaties focused on eliminating coal and preventing new fossil fuel exploration.</li>
</ul>



The authors underscore the necessity for equity and social justice in all climate-related decisions. They clearly recognize the disproportionate impact of climate calamities on the world&#8217;s most impoverished populations, who have the smallest carbon footprints.



In a world where climate-related disasters are becoming the norm rather than the exception, this clarion call from the scientific community is more urgent than ever. It implores global leaders, decision-makers, and individuals alike to embark on a more sustainable path, with the understanding that the very future of life on Earth hinges on the actions humanity takes now.



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Life under siege: Earth’s vital signs reach an all-time low

Jupiter's striking size, swirling gases, and dramatic bands in its atmosphere set it apart from every other planet. One of its most iconic features is the Great Red Spot, a storm so vast that it has defined the planet’s appearance for centuries.



Until now, much of the discussion has centered on the spectacle of that colossal storm itself. Recent observations are shining a new light on what happens above this famous vortex. 



These details open a fresh perspective on Jupiter’s upper atmosphere, revealing unexpected structures and patterns.



These findings have been led by team leader Henrik Melin of the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leicester</a> in the United Kingdom. 



By focusing on the region above the Great Red Spot, researchers have broadened our understanding of ionospheric activity on the gas giant.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fresh-insights-on-jupiter-s-atmosphere">Fresh insights on Jupiter’s atmosphere</h2>



Astronomers used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope (<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JWST</a>) to look at a portion of Jupiter once thought to be nondescript. 



The instrument’s infrared capabilities allowed scientists to analyze the gas giant’s upper atmosphere, an area where sunlight plays a role but had been assumed to be uniform. 



They found that Jupiter’s distance from the Sun means it receives only 4% of the sunlight hitting Earth, so it came as a surprise to see a host of intricate activity at these heights.



The team studied this region using Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/nirspec/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NIRSpec</a>). After targeting the area above the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jupiters-great-red-spot-shrinks-and-expands-like-a-stress-ball/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Great Red Spot</a>, they identified dark arcs and bright points, distributed across the field of view in ways never documented before. 



“We thought this region, perhaps naively, would be really boring,” shared team leader Henrik Melin. “It is in fact just as interesting as the northern lights, if not more so. Jupiter never ceases to surprise.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wave-patterns-and-the-great-red-spot">Wave patterns and the Great Red Spot</h2>



Although solar illumination drives the light coming from this zone, something else seems to be shaping the patterns. 



“One way in which you can change this structure is by gravity waves - similar to waves crashing on a beach, creating ripples in the sand,” explained Melin. 



“These waves are generated deep in the turbulent lower atmosphere, all around the Great Red Spot, and they can travel up in altitude, changing the structure and emissions of the upper atmosphere.”



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jupiter_Great-Red-Spot_mysterious-shapes_JWST-NIRSpec_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jupiter_Great-Red-Spot_mysterious-shapes_JWST-NIRSpec_ESA_1s.webp" alt="New observations of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter have revealed that the planet’s atmosphere above and around the infamous storm is surprisingly interesting and active. This graphic shows the region observed by Webb — first its location on a NIRCam image of the whole planet (left), and the region itself (right), imaged by Webb’s Near-InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec). Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1963902"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New observations of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter have revealed that the planet’s atmosphere above and around the infamous storm is surprisingly interesting and active. This graphic shows the region observed by Webb — first its location on a NIRCam image of the whole planet (left), and the region itself (right), imaged by Webb’s Near-InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec). Click to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



The fact that Earth also experiences these phenomena is intriguing, though the effect here at home is much weaker. 



The group behind these observations hopes to follow up on these wave patterns to see how they migrate through Jupiter’s upper atmosphere and affect the energy balance of that region. 



By observing these shifts over time, scientists can refine their ideas about Jupiter’s atmospheric mechanics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jupiter-s-upper-atmosphere">Jupiter's upper atmosphere</h2>



Tom Stallard, Professor of Planetary Astronomy at <a href="https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northumbria University</a>, worked on this effort and has been studying the upper layers of gas giants for many years. 



“We used to think of a planet’s aurora as the only interesting place in terms of ionospheric activity, but these new images show that is not always the case," Stallard explained. 



“Even spacecraft which have gone to Jupiter, such as the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA Juno mission</a>, have not had the sensitivity required to pull out this level of ionospheric detail.”



The images taken by Webb highlight features that were once simply too faint for ground-based equipment or earlier missions to spot. 



Stallard continued, “In future it would be interesting to observe how the patterns we see over the Great Red Spot change, and how these waves move throughout Jupiter’s upper atmosphere.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



Jupiter’s magnetic field is much more intense than Earth’s, yet there are parallels in the way ionospheres behave. 



“Although Jupiter appears very different to Earth there is actually much we can learn about our own planet by studying Jupiter. The processes going on are very similar, but Jupiter’s magnetic field is much stronger, and stranger," Stallard concluded.



By investigating these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-about-jupiters-clouds-not-ammonia-ice-leaves-astronomers-astonished/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">processes on a bigger stage</a>, scientists can apply fresh insights to our own world. 



When features are magnified on Jupiter, it can offer straightforward ways to test models that might be more subtle in Earth’s environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-waiting-for-the-juice">Waiting for the Juice</h2>



These discoveries may also help guide work on ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Juice" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Juice</a>, which lifted off on April 14, 2023. 



That mission carries instruments designed to learn more about Jupiter and its icy satellites, specifically Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. 



The goal is to assess these worlds as potential habitats while exploring the planet’s broader surroundings. 



The insights from Webb could prove vital when Juice measures the structures of Jupiter’s magnetic and atmospheric environment up close.



Researchers plan to examine Jupiter’s entire system to see how it compares to other gas giants across the universe. 



By focusing on wave patterns near the planet’s equatorial belt and looking at how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-is-causing-the-mysterious-haze-at-jupiters-poles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">charged particles behave</a>, the mission might provide further clarity on what drives the weather patterns and emissions in Jupiter’s upper layers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-from-jupiter-s-atmosphere">Learning from Jupiter's atmosphere</h2>



With the Webb telescope’s remarkable precision, scientists have found another layer of interest that is changing the way we think about ionospheric activities in the outer solar system. 



Each new image confirms there are still stories unfolding above that swirling red storm. 



The spotlight now shifts to exploring these atmospheric waves, the structures they create, and the lessons that might await our own planet. 



By mapping these patterns and testing how they evolve, researchers are poised to gain a deeper understanding of giant planets both close to home and beyond.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02305-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Astronomy</a>.



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Surprising 'shapes' discovered near Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

Jupiter's striking size, swirling gases, and dramatic bands in its...

Every summer feels hotter than the last. News reports cover deadly heatwaves, rising humidity, and collapsing infrastructure under soaring temperatures. But while climate models predict extreme weather, a deeper question lingers: how much heat can the human body actually tolerate?



A recent study from the University of Ottawa’s Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit (<a href="https://hepru.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HEPRU</a>) has provided fresh insights. 



The team, led by Dr. Robert D. Meade and Professor Glen Kenny, set out to measure the biological limits of thermoregulation - our body’s ability to control internal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-is-pushing-parts-of-earth-beyond-human-survival/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">temperature</a> under conditions of environmental stress.



This research does more than update old data. It redefines our understanding of human survival in a warming world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-tolerance-is-lower-than-expected">Heat tolerance is lower than expected</h2>



Until recently, scientists assumed that humans could tolerate “wet bulb” temperatures - where humidity and heat combine - up to 35 °C. This threshold was widely cited as the maximum point for survival. However, new experiments have challenged that belief.



“The conditions under which humans can effectively regulate their body temperature are actually much lower than earlier models suggested,” said Professor Kenny.



This revelation comes from a series of precise laboratory experiments that exposed volunteers to controlled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heat</a> and humidity. 



The research team applied a method called thermal-step protocols, where air temperature or relative humidity is increased in steps to determine when the body loses control over its internal temperature. 



This point, called the “core temperature inflection,” was assumed to mark the edge of thermoregulation. Yet, until now, no study had tested this assumption directly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-human-thermoregulation-limits">Testing human thermoregulation limits</h2>



To validate the threshold, researchers subjected 12 healthy adults to extreme conditions in a climate-controlled chamber. First, each participant underwent a humidity-step protocol. 



They were gradually exposed to increasing levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-warming-broke-records-for-450-straight-days/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heat</a> or moisture to determine their personal inflection point - the moment when their core temperature started climbing sharply.



But the experiment didn’t stop there. Each participant returned for two additional 9-hour trials. In one session, they were exposed to a wet bulb temperature just below their individual limit (around 30.9 °C). 



In the other, they faced a temperature just above it (approximately 33.7 °C). The goal was to see whether the body could adapt and stabilize, or whether it would succumb to the heat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-the-body-fails-to-cool-itself">When the body fails to cool itself</h2>



The outcome was decisive. “The results were clear. The participants’ core <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-accelerating-beyond-control-as-co2-levels-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">temperature</a> streamed upwards unabated, and many participants were unable to finish the 9-hour exposure,” Dr. Meade explained.



These extended trials confirmed that even slightly exceeding the inflection point leads to dangerous, unmanageable rises in body temperature. Heat stroke levels (around 40.2 °C core temperature) could be reached in under 10 hours under “Tabove” conditions. 



Even in the “Tbelow” trials, where conditions were slightly milder, the body struggled. It would take more than 24 hours to reach heat stroke, but the trajectory was still upward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-heat-impacts-on-humans">Predicting heat impacts on humans</h2>



This research does more than confirm a theory - it validates a method.



Thermal-step protocols have been used for decades to estimate limits for thermoregulation, but they lacked direct validation. Now, with this study, scientists can confidently rely on these models when projecting future human risks.



“Our findings [are] especially timely, given estimated limits for thermoregulation are being increasingly incorporated into large scale <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clouds-have-become-less-reflective-making-global-warming-worse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> modeling,” noted Dr. Meade.



By testing human physiology in real-world simulations, this study connects lab science with global climate data. It also provides detailed measurements of physiological strain during prolonged exposure.



Even when core temperature didn’t immediately reach lethal levels, participants showed signs of uncompensated heat stress - rapid heart rates, fatigue, and inability to finish the trial.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-climate-map">Global climate map</h2>



As climate models grow more detailed, they are beginning to include human physiological limits. This study adds confidence to those models by showing that the lab-based thermal-step method can predict real-life responses. 



It also shifts expectations: survivability thresholds now fall between 26 °C and 31 °C wet bulb temperature, which is much lower than the previously cited 35 °C mark.



“By integrating physiological data with climate models, we hope to better predict and prepare for heat-related health issues,” said Professor Kenny.



In other words, this isn’t just about lab numbers. It’s about how cities will respond to heat emergencies, how healthcare systems can adapt, and how urban planning must change. Policies can now draw on data that reflect the actual stress on human bodies under conditions of rising temperature.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-exposure-may-exceed-human-capacity">Heat exposure may exceed human capacity</h2>



What makes this study urgent is the projection that large regions across the globe will soon experience these dangerous conditions. 



Some of these zones include densely populated areas where millions may face extended periods of wet bulb temperatures of above 32 °C. With each degree rise, the margin for survival shrinks.



These findings serve as both a warning and a guide. They remind us that biological systems - unlike machines - can only adapt so far. The limits are real, measurable, and fast approaching.



Human survival under climate stress will depend not only on environmental policy but on understanding and respecting the boundaries of our own physiology.



This research marks a turning point. It shows that the future of climate adaptation must start with the human body. It is not a matter of theory, but of the unmistakable rise of core temperatures, the lab data collected over nine sweltering hours, and the shared vulnerability of every person facing a hotter planet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2421281122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS</a>.



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Humans have a much lower heat tolerance than expected

Every summer feels hotter than the last. News reports cover...

Why would prehistoric humans carry their youngest children deep into the winding, pitch-black recesses of ancient caves - places riddled with danger, low oxygen, and claustrophobic tunnels? 



A new study from researchers at <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tel Aviv University</a> suggests an answer that goes beyond simple tradition or education: these children weren’t just tagging along - they were spiritual participants.



A paper recently published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/arts14020027" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arts</a>, a journal from MDPI, presents an innovative interpretation of children’s presence at cave art sites. The study proposes that small children were believed to serve a powerful spiritual function - acting as mediators between humans and the unseen world.



The research was conducted by Dr. Ella Assaf, Dr. Yafit Kedar, and Professor Ran Barkai from Tel Aviv University's Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-participated-in-cave-art">Children participated in cave art</h2>



Cave paintings, particularly those found in France and Spain, date back between 40,000 and 12,000 years and continue to mystify archaeologists.&nbsp;



While previous studies have focused on the adult creators of these artworks, there’s growing evidence that children were also involved. Handprints and finger paintings left by young ones, some as young as two years old, are scattered among the animal figures and abstract shapes. 



Footprints and hand impressions found near these ancient <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-cave-painting-discovered-in-indonesia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paintings</a> suggest that children didn’t merely observe - they actively took part.



“There is solid evidence of children’s participation in the artwork,” Assaf said. “This naturally raises the question: why were very young children taken on exhausting and hazardous journeys deep into the dark, meandering caves with low oxygen levels - crawling through crevices, descending shafts, and climbing rocks to reach their destination?”



So far, most hypotheses have leaned toward the educational. The assumption was that adults brought children along to pass on cultural knowledge - traditions, myths, artistic skills. But the experts believe there’s more to the story.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-as-powerful-figures">Children as powerful figures</h2>



“Despite extensive research on cave art, few studies have focused on the presence of children,” Kedar said. “The prevailing hypothesis is that their participation served an educational purpose. In our study, we argue that children’s involvement had an additional meaning.”



Drawing on ethnographic studies of indigenous societies and recent insights into the nature of cave rituals, the researchers suggest that small children were considered spiritually potent. 



In many traditional cultures, children are not seen merely as passive observers or learners, but as powerful figures in their own right - what the researchers call “active agents.”



“Children possess a range of unique mental and cognitive traits, For this reason, indigenous cultures worldwide, throughout history and prehistory, have viewed children as 'active agents' - mediators between this world and the entities inhabiting the natural world, the underworld, and the cosmos as a whole,” Assaf said.&nbsp;



“In this way, children made a vital contribution to their communities - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stone-age-hunter-gatherers-had-a-very-organized-domestic-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hunter-gatherers</a> who lived in nature and sought to maintain continuous, respectful relationships with various entities: animals and plants that served as food sources, stones used for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-select-the-best-materials-for-termite-fishing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">toolmaking</a>, ancestral spirits, and more.”



By involving children in cave rituals and artwork, ancient communities may have believed they were strengthening their connection to spiritual entities - animals, ancestral spirits, or cosmic forces - that governed their survival. 



These were communities deeply reliant on nature, where food, tools, and spiritual meaning were derived from the landscape around them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-delivered-messages-in-cave-art">Children delivered messages in cave art</h2>



According to Barkai, caves themselves were often seen as liminal spaces - gateways to the underworld. For prehistoric societies, descending into the earth was not merely physical but symbolic. Within the depths, shamanic rituals could be performed to communicate with unseen forces.



“Young children were perceived as liminal beings - belonging to both the realm they had left just recently (before birth) and the world they currently inhabit,” he said. “Thus, small children were considered particularly suited to bridging the gap between the worlds and delivering messages to non-human entities.”



By this logic, children were not just extras in a ceremonial performance, but integral players. Their presence, their touch, even their handprints may have been believed to amplify the ritual’s power.&nbsp;



Thus, children joined adults on journeys into the depths of caves and participated in painting and rituals as part of their role in the community - as ideal mediators with entities from the beyond.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-childhood-and-spiritual-connection-nbsp">Childhood and spiritual connection&nbsp;</h2>



This study contributes to a growing body of work that rethinks the role of children in prehistory. Rather than viewing them as mere bystanders or apprentices, researchers are beginning to see young members of ancient communities as active participants in shaping both social life and spiritual practices.



By blending archaeological evidence with cultural anthropology and religious studies, the scientists opened a new window into how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-had-surprising-diets-3-5-million-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early humans</a> understood the roles of the youngest among them.&nbsp;



It’s a theory that paints childhood not just as a period of learning, but as a time of spiritual connection - and children, not just as learners, but as vital messengers between worlds.



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Children played a spiritual role in prehistoric cave art

Why would prehistoric humans carry their youngest children deep into...

An international team of researchers took advantage of a rare chance encounter to explore a massive new expanse of seafloor exposed by the breakup of an Antarctic ice shelf in the Bellingshausen Sea.&nbsp;



On January 13, 2025, an iceberg named A-84 - which was the size of the city of Chicago - broke off from the George VI Ice Shelf, which sits along the Antarctic Peninsula. 



This event uncovered roughly 209 square miles (540 square kilometers) of seafloor that had previously been concealed under floating ice.



The team arrived aboard <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Schmidt Ocean Institute</a>’s R/V Falkor (too) at this newly exposed site on January 25, making them the first to study such a large underwater area that had previously been covered by an ice shelf.&nbsp;



Their effort marks the first large-scale interdisciplinary exploration of geologic, oceanographic, and biological features hidden beneath an extensive floating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-glacier-retreat-in-the-arctic-signals-climate-disaster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glacier</a> front.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapidly-shifting-expedition-goals">Rapidly shifting expedition goals</h2>



Co-chief scientist Patricia Esquete is a researcher in the <a href="https://www.cesam-la.pt/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Environmental and Marine Studies</a> (CESAM) and the Department of Biology (DBio) at the <a href="https://www.ua.pt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Aveiro</a> in Portugal.&nbsp;



"We seized upon the moment, changed our expedition plan, and went for it so we could look at what was happening in the depths below,” said Esquete.



“We didn’t expect to find such a beautiful, thriving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-environmental-stress-strengthens-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystem</a>. Based on the size of the animals, the communities we observed have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years.”



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Antarctic-iceberg-detached_seafloor-study_credit-SOI_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Antarctic-iceberg-detached_seafloor-study_credit-SOI_1s.webp" alt="The newly exposed Antarctic seafloor also allowed the team to gather critical data on the past behavior of the ice sheet. The ice sheet has been shrinking and losing mass over the last few decades due to climate change. Credit: Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute" class="wp-image-1963228"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The newly exposed Antarctic seafloor also allowed the team to gather critical data on the past behavior of the ice sheet. The ice sheet has been shrinking and losing mass over the last few decades due to climate change. Credit: Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute</figcaption></figure>



Originally, the science mission did not include venturing beneath a freshly fractured portion of the ice shelf. 



However, the movement of this newly calved <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-iceberg-that-broke-away-from-antarctica-sparks-concerns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iceberg</a> offered a rare opportunity to explore a site that, until recently, had never been examined by any human.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctic-seafloor-reveals-lush-communities">Antarctic seafloor reveals lush communities</h2>



Using Schmidt Ocean Institute’s remotely operated vehicle, ROV SuBastian, the science team spent eight days surveying the seafloor at depths down to 1,300 meters (4,265 feet).&nbsp;



The experts discovered an unexpectedly rich ecosystem that was teeming with corals, sponges, icefish, giant sea spiders, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopuses-could-dominate-earth-if-humans-vanish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">octopuses</a> - an indication that marine life can flourish under ice-covered regions of the Antarctic in ways not previously documented.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Antarctic-iceberg-detached_seafloor_octopus-resting_credit-SOI_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Antarctic-iceberg-detached_seafloor_octopus-resting_credit-SOI_1s.webp" alt="An octopus rests on the seafloor 1150 meters deep, in the Bellingshausen Sea off Antarctica, at an area where the shelf break and slope are cut by several underwater gullies. Credit: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute" class="wp-image-1963224"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An octopus rests on the seafloor 1150 meters deep, in the Bellingshausen Sea off Antarctica, at an area where the shelf break and slope are cut by several underwater gullies. Credit: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute</figcaption></figure>



According to the researchers, these observations offer insight into how ecosystems function beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.&nbsp;Such an ecosystem has seldom been accessed. 



Earlier findings, notably by <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Antarctic Survey</a> researchers in 2021, revealed possible bottom-dwelling life beneath ice, but the present study marks the first time an ROV survey has thoroughly documented wide areas of this vibrant seabed.



The experts were surprised by the large biomass and biodiversity in the ecosystem and suspect they have discovered several new species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-marine-life-survives-in-darkness">How marine life survives in darkness</h2>



Deep-sea ecosystems generally depend on nutrients trickling down from surface waters. However, these Antarctic seafloors had been buried under ice some 150 meters (nearly 500 feet) thick for centuries.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Antarctic-iceberg-detached_seafloor_Sponge_Anemone_credit-SOI_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Antarctic-iceberg-detached_seafloor_Sponge_Anemone_credit-SOI_1s.webp" alt="A large sponge, a cluster of anemones, and other life is seen nearly 230 meters deep at an area of the seabed that was very recently covered by the George VI Ice Shelf, a floating glacier in Antarctica. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute" class="wp-image-1963226"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A large sponge, a cluster of anemones, and other life is seen nearly 230 meters deep at an area of the seabed that was very recently covered by the George VI Ice Shelf, a floating glacier in Antarctica. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute</figcaption></figure>



With no direct sunlight, how such abundant organisms manage to feed is still uncertain. The scientists propose that ocean currents under the ice may be funneling essential nutrients to these communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctic-ice-sheet-behavior">Antarctic ice sheet behavior</h2>



Apart from their ecological discoveries, the international group - which included scientists from Portugal, the United Kingdom, Chile, Germany, Norway, New Zealand, and the United States - examined geological samples to gain knowledge about past changes in the Antarctic ice sheet.



The ice sheet has been shrinking and losing mass for decades in response to climate change.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Antarctic-iceberg-detached_modis-satellite-view_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Antarctic-iceberg-detached_modis-satellite-view_NASA_1s.webp" alt="The MODIS Corrected Reflectance satellite imagery showing the iceberg calved from George VI Ice Shelf in the Bellingshausen Sea on 19 January 2025. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute" class="wp-image-1963222"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The MODIS Corrected Reflectance satellite imagery showing the iceberg calved from George VI Ice Shelf in the Bellingshausen Sea on 19 January 2025. Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute</figcaption></figure>



“The ice loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet is a major contributor to sea level rise worldwide,” said co-chief scientist Sasha Montelli of <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a>, who is also a 2019 Schmidt Science Fellow.&nbsp;



“Our work is critical for providing longer-term context of these recent changes, improving our ability to make projections of future change - projections that can inform actionable policies. We will undoubtedly make new discoveries as we continue to analyze this vital data.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-samples-from-the-antarctic-seafloor">Samples from the Antarctic seafloor </h2>



During this mission, the team collected both biological and geological samples. 



In addition, they deployed autonomous underwater vehicles, called gliders, to analyze how meltwater from the ice shelf impacts the region’s physical and chemical properties.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/antarctic-iceberg_Solitary-Hydroid_unseen-ecosystem_credit-SOI_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/antarctic-iceberg_Solitary-Hydroid_unseen-ecosystem_credit-SOI_1s.webp" alt="A solitary hydroid drifts in currents approximately 380 meters deep at an area of the seabed that was very recently covered by the George VI Ice Shelf, a floating glacier in Antarctica. Solitary hydroids are related to corals, jellyfish, and anemones, but do not form colonies. Credit: SOI" class="wp-image-1963895"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A solitary hydroid drifts in currents approximately 380 meters deep at an area of the seabed that was very recently covered by the George VI Ice Shelf, a floating glacier in Antarctica. Solitary hydroids are related to corals, jellyfish, and anemones, but do not form colonies. Click image to enlarge. Credit: SOI</figcaption></figure>



Preliminary measurements hinted at high biological productivity and strong meltwater flow from the George VI ice shelf, providing further context for how such deep-sea populations may thrive in these surroundings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-part-of-a-larger-global-initiative">Part of a larger global initiative</h2>



The expedition is part of Challenger 150, a global cooperative dedicated to deep-sea biological study, and recognized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (<a href="https://www.ioc.unesco.org/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IOC/UNESCO</a>) as an Ocean Decade Action.&nbsp;



This alignment ensures that findings from the George VI Ice Shelf breakage feed into broader international efforts to understand and safeguard <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-impacting-marine-life-more-than-we-realized/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine life</a>.



“The science team was originally in this remote region to study the seafloor and ecosystem at the interface between ice and sea,” noted Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director, Jyotika Virmani.&nbsp;



“Being right there when this iceberg calved from the ice shelf presented a rare scientific opportunity. Serendipitous moments are part of the excitement of research at sea - they offer the chance to be the first to witness the untouched beauty of our world.”



Looking ahead, the researchers plan to continue analyzing the collected data for insights into both ice sheet behavior and the unique marine life that has flourished unseen for centuries beneath the ice.&nbsp;



With accelerating climate change, the study’s findings about species adaptability and the resilience of Antarctic habitats carry implications for future conservation and policy decisions on a global scale.



<a href="https://schmidtocean.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000QszlkoaNkKU/G0000p4LRtGEAfWo/I0000X_S5KjUr4QU/FKt250110-20250126-IceScanningCollectionAndIcebergViewing-Ingle-0202-jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">See more of the photos taken on this mission by the Schmidt Ocean Institute here...</a>



Images Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute



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Antarctic iceberg breaks away and reveals ecosystem never seen by humans

An international team of researchers took advantage of a rare...

Memories don't follow a straight, linear path, even though we often recall them like tidy stories. Researchers are now embracing this complexity, using smartphones to explore how memories shift over time, how they become richer or fade, and how we might intentionally strengthen them.&nbsp;



These digital tools are allowing scientists to track real-life experiences in ways that lab studies can’t, revealing how actions like trying something new, replaying moments before sleep, or feeling strong emotions may enhance our memory.



These insights are being shared at the <a href="https://www.cns.org/annualmeeting?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwna6_BhCbARIsALId2Z32nZKBwJfBW1xlk4p1DeZXQCu-j2lAYuBjcMNte24oAjQO4Thu2rEaAj5-EALw_wcB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS)</a>, where researchers are highlighting a range of smartphone-based studies that explore how memory is shaped by daily life.&nbsp;



“Smartphones are an incredible tool for understanding patterns of feelings, behavior, and experiences in daily life, and how different types of everyday events stay with us in memory,” said Elizabeth Goldfarb from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale University</a>, who is chairing a session on the topic. 



“Real experiences have so much more salience and self-relevance than anything I can generate in the lab, and being able to quantify how people remember those events is very exciting.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sleep-dreams-and-the-timing-of-memory">Sleep, dreams, and the timing of memory</h2>



One line of research being presented comes from Morgan Barense at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Toronto</a>, who is examining how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-rewires-the-brain-to-strengthen-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a> and dreams affect memory retention. This work emerged unexpectedly, when a previous study showed that memory recall was significantly affected by when material was reviewed in relation to sleep.&nbsp;



“We found that the timing of when someone first reviews material relative to sleep had an enormous effect on how well they later remembered it,” Barense said.&nbsp;



“The effect was so striking that I initially didn’t believe it. That discovery made me realize that sleep is something all memory scientists should be paying close attention to.”



Barense’s team, led by graduate student Nelly Matorina, developed a smartphone app called HippoCamera to test how a night of sleep impacts memories from the day before.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-memories-following-sleep-are-more-vivid">Memories following sleep are more vivid</h2>



Participants recorded two events each day - one in the morning, one in the evening - for two weeks. The researchers then tested <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/memory-isnt-only-stored-in-our-brains-other-cells-can-remember-too/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recall</a> after 12-hour intervals, comparing the effects of sleep versus wakefulness. 



Their earlier findings were confirmed. “Memories following sleep were more vivid, felt temporally closer, and were easier to recall, suggesting that a single night of sleep helps preserve the richness of autobiographical memory,” Barense explained.



Participants also recorded dreams and identified any that related to events captured with the app. “Interestingly, memories that were dreamt about were also rated as feeling temporally closer and were more likely to be recalled from a first-person perspective,” she added.



The team followed up by testing those same memories a year later to see how they changed, particularly in relation to the event's location.&nbsp;



“Our pattern of results suggests that the link between an event and its location may initially weaken after a night’s sleep to allow for memory reorganization, but over the long term, a year later, our memory is strongly connected to where it took place,” Matorina said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smartphones-improve-memory-research-nbsp">Smartphones improve memory research&nbsp;</h2>



While studying memory outside the lab comes with challenges, Barense sees great value in this approach.&nbsp;



“Real-world data collection introduces variability that is difficult to control, and tracking sleep and memory over time requires careful methodological design,” she said.&nbsp;



“However, these challenges are also what make smartphone-based research so promising - it allows us to move beyond artificial settings and study memory as it naturally unfolds in daily life.”



Looking ahead, Barense’s team will partner with Ken Paller’s lab at <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northwestern University</a> to see if memory retention can be boosted during sleep. They plan to combine HippoCamera with targeted memory reactivation, which uses sound cues tied to events and plays them during specific sleep stages.&nbsp;



“While our previous work has shown that HippoCamera strengthens autobiographical memory in older adults, we believe that incorporating sleep-based memory reactivation will further amplify its benefits,” Barense said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smartphone-app-tests-recall">Smartphone app tests recall</h2>



Lila Davachi of <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Columbia University</a> is also using smartphone-based research to explore memory, inspired by the mental and emotional effects of the pandemic.&nbsp;



“The lab had already published several papers on the impact of context representations on associative memory and here we all were sitting in our homes, meeting on Zoom, with very little change in our contexts,” she said.&nbsp;



“It was natural to wonder how this was going to impact our long-term memories and, perhaps by consequence, our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mental-health-crisis-half-of-the-worlds-population-will-be-affected-by-age-75/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental health</a>.”



Davachi and her team used a “daily diary” smartphone app, asking participants to report and categorize daily events over two weeks as “novel,” “routine,” or “periodic.” Two weeks later, they tested recall.&nbsp;



With the help of artificial intelligence to analyze responses, the researchers found that novel events were remembered with greater vividness and detail.&nbsp;



“Perhaps more exciting, we found that routine and periodic events that happened on the same day as a novel event were also better remembered than routine and periodic events that took place on days with less novelty,” Davachi explained. “This suggests a penumbra-like effect of novelty.”



This effect hints at the value of “experiential diversity” in strengthening memory. By mixing up daily routines with new experiences, people might be able to enhance not just specific memories but their overall ability to recall an entire day.&nbsp;



“Being able to sample and record data from individuals in the real world, along with the use of AI-based large language models to help us analyze large amounts of complex data, is a solid stepping stone,” Davachi said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-the-role-of-emotion-and-addiction">Exploring the role of emotion and addiction </h2>



Goldfarb is also using smartphones to investigate how people remember emotionally intense experiences, particularly in the context of substance use. In one study, she is examining the role of memory in alcohol addiction.&nbsp;



Memory is an important factor in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/zapping-the-brain-with-ultrasound-waves-may-cure-drug-addiction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">addiction</a>, since, for instance, someone can’t relapse in a place where they used to drink if they have no memories of drinking there. “Yet we know very little about what people remember about their time drinking that drives this behavior,” Goldfarb said.



Using smartphone recordings, her team is able to compare real-life memories of drinking events with patterns seen in lab studies.&nbsp;



“We’re uncovering some similarities with what we measure in the lab, which is great for establishing ecological validity,” she said. However, these real-world observations are also revealing new insights.&nbsp;



“We are seeing that people are more likely to link different parts of a positive event together in memory,” she said. “As a researcher, the effects of real emotions are so much stronger than what we can create in the lab.”



Goldfarb believes this emerging body of work - from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dream-recall-who-remembers-their-dreams-and-why/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dreams</a> to novelty to emotions - is opening new doors in memory research. As she concludes, these new tools and findings are a significant step forward in helping people build stronger and more detailed memories.



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Smartphones are teaching us how to supercharge our memory

Memories don't follow a straight, linear path, even though we...

Single-celled organisms that group together can generate stronger water currents to pull in food, a benefit that may have encouraged early life forms to assemble into colonies, according to a new study. This could have set the stage for more complex, multicellular life.



Ultimately, the research suggests that the evolution of multicellular organisms may have been shaped by the fluid dynamics of cooperative feeding.



“So much work on the origins of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/past-snowball-earth-conditions-drove-evolution-complex-multicellular-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multicellular life</a> focuses on chemistry,” said Shashank Shekhar, lead author of the study and assistant professor of physics at <a href="https://www.emory.edu/home/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Emory University</a>. “We wanted to investigate the role of physical forces in the process.”&nbsp;



Shekhar was inspired by observing the feeding behavior of stentors - large, trumpet-shaped, single-celled organisms. He began exploring how their movements through liquid might provide clues about the transition from single cells to complex life. 



“The project started with beautiful images of the fluid flows,” Shekhar said. “Only later did we realize the evolutionary significance of this behavior.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-physics-of-feeding">The physics of feeding</h2>



Stentors are visible to the naked eye and are commonly found floating near the surface of freshwater <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ponds-release-more-greenhouse-gases-than-they-store/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ponds</a>. These organisms can grow up to two millimeters in length - roughly the size of a pencil tip.&nbsp;



They attach to leaves, twigs, or other floating matter using a sticky secretion from one end of their body, while the wider, open end is surrounded by cilia - tiny hair-like structures that beat rhythmically to create water currents and pull in food particles.



Using microscope video, Shekhar captured how a single stentor feeds by creating twin vortices at its mouth, which effectively draw in food like bacteria and algae.&nbsp;



To make the fluid motion visible, he added plastic beads small enough to trace the currents. This experiment revealed the efficiency of the cilia-generated flow in solitary feeding.



However, Shekhar noticed that stentors sometimes clustered together, forming pairs or even colonies in a semi-spherical shape. When he recorded the feeding dynamics of these groups, he discovered something intriguing:&nbsp;



“I call that movement ‘I love you, I love you not,’” Shekhar said, referring to how pairs of stentors would sway toward and away from each other. When their heads drew closer together, their fluid flows merged into a single, stronger vortex that attracted food from a larger area.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-single-celled-organisms-working-together">Single-celled organisms working together </h2>



The feeding advantage increased further when stentors joined larger groups. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/larger-ant-colonies-drove-the-evolution-of-worker-castes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colonies</a> were able to generate currents significantly more powerful than individual organisms or even pairs, drawing in more food from farther away. 



This finding raised a question: if cooperation improved feeding, why did some stentors occasionally leave the group?



The team proposed that not all stentors gained equally from forming colonies. “The colonies are dynamic as the stentors keep changing partners,” Shekhar explained. “The stronger ones are being taken advantage of, in a sense. They change partners often so that everyone benefits similarly.”&nbsp;



This suggested that stronger individuals might temporarily withdraw from the group to avoid being exploited by weaker ones, while the weaker stentors had more to gain by staying attached.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cooperation-in-organisms-without-a-brain">Cooperation in organisms without a brain</h2>



To test these ideas, the researchers turned to mathematical modeling. Co-authors Eva Kanso of the <a href="https://www.usc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southern California</a> and Haniliang Guo of <a href="https://www.owu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ohio Wesleyan University</a> helped construct simulations that reproduced the dynamics seen in the lab.&nbsp;



The models confirmed that in pairings, one organism always had a greater advantage. Meanwhile, larger groups, especially those in which members periodically changed positions, increased the overall food intake for each member on average.



These findings suggest that the benefits of forming temporary colonies - especially the ability to draw in more food - could have played a role in the early transition from single cells to complex life. 



“It’s amazing that a single-celled organism, with no brain or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-complete-map-of-every-neuron-in-the-brain-revealed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neurons</a>, developed behaviors for opportunism and cooperation,” Shekhar said. “Perhaps these kinds of behaviors were hard-wired into organisms much earlier in evolution than we previously realized.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-evolution-of-multicellular-organisms">The evolution of multicellular organisms </h2>



The research emerged from a decade-long journey that began in 2014, when Shekhar joined a summer program at the <a href="https://www.mbl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marine Biological Laboratory</a> (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. There, he was able to collaborate with scientists from various universities.&nbsp;



“Renowned scientists come there every summer from around the world for organic collaborations,” Shekhar said. “You have the time and resources to explore extreme questions that capture your interest.”



Marshall’s research on stentors and their ability to regenerate has sparked even greater curiosity about these unique cells. Their remarkable properties and visible behaviors made them ideal subjects for studying physical phenomena that could drive evolutionary change.



“You can chop up a stentor and each tiny piece will become a complete organism within 12 hours,” said Shekhar.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-single-cells-to-complex-life">From single cells to complex life</h2>



Though Shekhar is known for his work on actin, a protein essential to cell mobility, this project marked a new direction for his lab.&nbsp;



“The stentor work was a passion project,” he said. “It’s wonderful to work at your own pace, over many years, on a question that fascinates you and wind up with such beautiful and significant results.”



The study offers a fresh perspective on how simple, physical interactions between organisms could have contributed to the emergence of complex life.&nbsp;



While chemistry has long dominated theories about the origins of multicellularity, these results highlight the potential role of fluid mechanics and cooperation in shaping the earliest stages of biological organization.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41567-025-02787-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Physics</a>.



Image Credit: Shashank Shekhar



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From single cells to complex life: Was cooperation the first step?

Single-celled organisms that group together can generate stronger water currents...

Clothing rental has been pitched as a way to curb the fashion industry’s massive environmental impact. But so far, many of these ventures haven’t lasted long. 



What could make this idea work? It turns out that focusing on a specific market and building strong relationships with suppliers could be the key.



A recent study investigated whether clothing rental is a possible solution to the fashion industry's footprint. The research was led by <a href="https://www.chalmers.se/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chalmers University of Technology</a>, along with experts at the University of Borås and the research institute RISE.



The team explored what has and hasn’t worked for companies trying to make renting clothes a practical, long-term business.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rental-clothes-and-sustainable-consumption">Rental clothes and sustainable consumption </h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fashion-industrys-plastic-waste-is-a-major-environmental-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fashion industry</a> is one of the top contributors to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unprecedented-increase-in-global-ocean-plastic-pollution-since-2005/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global pollution</a>. In Sweden alone, over 90% of the climate impact from clothing comes from newly produced garments.



Renting instead of buying could keep clothes in circulation longer and reduce the need for constant production.



"Many people have clothes hanging in the closet that are rarely or never used. Renting clothes can extend the use of each garment and thus contribute to more sustainable consumption," said study co-author Professor Frida Lind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-types-of-fashion-rental-models">Types of fashion rental models</h2>



The researchers examined nine Swedish clothing rental companies. Some were still active, while others had shut down. Through this, they identified three common types of rental models.



The first model is membership-based. Customers sign up and borrow clothes for a set period of time, similar to how a library works. These companies were often founded by individuals who were driven by an interest in sustainability.



The second approach is subscription-based. In this model, customers pay a monthly fee and receive a rotating selection of garments to wear. Companies using this model usually aimed to expand quickly and attract investors.



The third model focuses on individual rentals. These businesses typically offered clothing for specific purposes - such as renting out ski jackets along with ski equipment - creating a bundled, purpose-driven experience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-fashion-rental-companies-struggle">Why fashion rental companies struggle </h2>



Despite genuine interest from consumers, many of the businesses struggled to stay afloat.



"What struck us was that it seemed so difficult for them to make their business profitable. Several had had to end their investments for various reasons," said Professor Lind.



Running a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-were-already-making-clothing-120000-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clothing</a> rental service involves multiple layers of effort. Every garment needs to be returned, cleaned, inspected, and prepared before it can be sent out again. This process is time-consuming and costly. 



Many companies also had high overhead expenses related to storage, transportation, and laundry. For those using a subscription model, raising early-stage investment proved difficult. 



The researchers found that most of these models simply require more time and support to take root in the market.



"Renting out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-dark-side-of-donating-clothes-to-charity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clothes</a> involves many steps where each item of clothing needs to be handled and inspected before it can be rented out again, which takes time. Companies also struggled with high costs for warehousing, logistics and laundry, for example," said Professor Lind.



"Especially for the subscription models, there were also difficulties in obtaining venture capital to be able to survive financially through the first phase of building the company. All this shows that these business models need time to establish themselves in the market."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-niche-markets-are-more-promising">Niche markets are more promising</h2>



Not all of the business models fared poorly. Companies that targeted a narrow and specific market - such as outdoor gear - had better outcomes, especially when they operated near places where such clothing was needed.



"They seem to have found their niche and seen that there is a specific need that the customer is willing to pay for each time they need to use that type of clothing," said Professor Lind.



Companies that collaborated closely with clothing designers, manufacturers, and suppliers tended to do better as they gained useful insights that helped improve both product quality and customer satisfaction.



"Rental companies that worked closely with clothing manufacturers and suppliers, such as designers with a sustainability profile, benefited greatly from this as they were able to quickly get feedback on which types of clothing were most popular," said Professor Lind.



"They also gained valuable information about the quality of the garments, for example if there was something that often broke."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-these-efforts-matter">Why these efforts matter</h2>



The researchers didn’t measure the environmental impact of each business model in this particular study. But earlier findings from Chalmers show that 70 percent of a garment’s climate impact comes from production, while 22 percent is linked to the shopping trips consumers make to buy them. 



In the U.S., an average person throws away about 81 pounds of clothing per year. In the EU, that number is about 26 pounds per person.



If people buy fewer new clothes and use existing garments for longer, that shift could bring major environmental benefits. And if those changes happen without extra travel emissions - even better.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-habits-one-attempt-at-a-time">Changing habits, one attempt at a time</h2>



While some of the companies examined for the study didn’t survive, Professor Lind believes the broader effort is still important. She noted that even failed attempts help shift public attitudes around how we view clothing ownership and consumption. They also provide useful lessons for future ventures.



"All initiatives that can contribute to the sustainability transition are important. Not least because they help to change attitudes about clothing consumption and increase knowledge about what can and cannot work," said Professor Lind.



"Our study can be an important contribution to the fashion industry's sustainability transition, as it shows the possibilities of new business models in this industry." 



"We hope that it can have an impact on decision-makers who need a basis for establishing incentives and financial motivation for a more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wealthy-nations-are-making-more-progress-toward-sustainable-development/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sustainable</a> fashion industry."



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/jbim-04-2024-0281/full/html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing</a>.



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Borrow clothes, save the planet? The reality of fashion rental

Clothing rental has been pitched as a way to curb...

A new blood test could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s. Beyond confirming the presence of the disease, the test also helps determine the stage of its progression. This may fundamentally change how physicians manage Alzheimer’s care.



The test was developed by experts at <a href="https://medicine.washu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis</a> and Lund University in Sweden. Their studies indicate that a particular blood protein, MTBR-tau243, can be used to monitor the extent of dangerous tau accumulation in the brain.



The tangles of tau protein are some of the hallmark characteristics of Alzheimer’s and are directly proportional to the intensity of the symptoms. 



This new technique is considerably more convenient than brain scans since it is non-invasive, and does not require expensive procedures that are difficult to access.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-alzheimer-s-with-a-blood-test">Tracking Alzheimer’s with a blood test</h2>



Right now, doctors can use several blood <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blood-tests-offer-new-hope-in-detecting-alzheimers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tests</a> to help detect Alzheimer’s. Some of the tests that are already in use are based on earlier discoveries at Washington University. 



These tests look for early warning signs but don’t reveal how much the disease has progressed. That’s a crucial gap. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/medical-breakthrough-new-vaccine-may-prevent-alzheimers-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s treatments</a> are most helpful in the early stages, before too much damage has been done.



Having a way to tell whether someone is in an early or late phase of the disease would help doctors decide which treatment would work best. It could also clarify whether a person’s memory or thinking issues are actually caused by Alzheimer’s or something else.



“This blood test clearly identifies Alzheimer’s tau tangles, which is our best biomarker measure of Alzheimer’s symptoms and dementia,” said co-senior author Dr. Randall J. Bateman.



“In clinical practice right now, we don’t have easy or accessible measures of Alzheimer’s tangles and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/risk-of-dementia-is-much-higher-than-previously-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dementia</a>, and so a tangle blood test like this can provide a much better indication if the symptoms are due to Alzheimer’s and may also help doctors decide which treatments are best for their patients.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-reliable-way-to-monitor-the-disease">A reliable way to monitor the disease</h2>



Alzheimer’s typically starts with a buildup of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleeping-may-lower-levels-of-alzheimers-abnormal-proteins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amyloid protein</a> in the brain. Tau tangles develop later and mark the point when symptoms begin to show. 



The best way to see these changes has been through PET scans, which can track amyloid and tau deposits. But these scans are expensive, time-consuming, and often only available in large hospitals or research centers. That’s why scientists have been working on blood-based alternatives.



The team had already developed blood tests that measure amyloid plaque buildup. Earlier research showed that levels of MTBR-tau243 in spinal fluid could match up with brain tau levels.



In this new study, the researchers demonstrated that they could get the same results using blood samples. A blood draw is much easier and more accessible than a spinal tap.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-the-new-approach">Testing the new approach</h2>



To validate the test, the researchers used data from two groups of people. One group came from a research center at Washington University and included 108 volunteers. The other group included 55 people from a Swedish study known as BioFINDER-2.



Next, the experts checked their findings with data from 739 additional people in the BioFINDER-2 group.



These participants represented a range of Alzheimer’s stages - from people who had no symptoms but had amyloid in their brains, to those with mild cognitive issues, to people with full dementia.



The study also included individuals with memory or thinking problems due to other conditions, and some who were cognitively healthy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alzheimer-s-progression-revealed-in-blood">Alzheimer’s progression revealed in blood</h2>



The results were promising. MTBR-tau243 levels in the blood matched the amount of tau tangles in the brain with 92% accuracy. 



In healthy people and those in the earliest stage of the disease, the levels were normal. But in people showing symptoms, the protein levels were clearly elevated - and much higher in those with advanced disease.



This difference made it easy to tell who was in an early or late stage of Alzheimer’s. It also helped distinguish Alzheimer’s dementia from other kinds of cognitive problems. 



That kind of clarity could make a huge difference in choosing the right treatment path.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-tool-for-personalized-alzheimer-s-care">A tool for personalized Alzheimer’s care</h2>



The new test uses technology licensed by Washington University to C2N Diagnostics, which previously developed similar blood tests for amyloid plaques. The earlier tests were designed to detect another tau protein called p-tau217.



“I believe we will use blood-based p-tau217 to determine whether an individual has Alzheimer’s disease, but MTBR-tau243 will be a highly valuable complement in both clinical settings and research trials,” said Oskar Hansson, a professor of neurology at Lund University.



“When both of these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-disease-earliest-biomarker-protein-psd-95-identified/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biomarkers</a> are positive, the likelihood that Alzheimer’s is the underlying cause of a person’s cognitive symptoms increases significantly, compared to when only p-tau217 is abnormal. This distinction is crucial for selecting the most appropriate treatment for each patient.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead-to-better-treatments">Looking ahead to better treatments</h2>



Currently, there are two FDA-approved drugs that target amyloid in the brain to slow Alzheimer’s. But more treatments are being tested - including ones that aim at tau protein and other disease mechanisms.



As these therapies become available, doctors will need reliable ways to match the right treatment to each stage of the disease. Blood tests could be the key to this shift toward personalized Alzheimer’s care.



“We’re about to enter the era of personalized medicine for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Kanta Horie, a research associate professor of neurology at WashU Medicine. 



“For early stages with low tau tangles, anti-amyloid therapies could be more efficacious than in late stages. But after the onset of dementia with high tau tangles, anti-tau therapy or one of the many other experimental approaches may be more effective." 



"Once we have a clinically available blood test for staging, plus treatments that work at different stages of the disease, doctors will be able to optimize their treatment plans for the specific needs of each patient.”



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03617-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Medicine</a>.



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Breakthrough: New blood test can diagnose and track the progression of Alzheimer’s

A new blood test could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment...

NASA’s Curiosity rover has made another remarkable discovery on Mars - the largest organic compounds ever detected on the Red Planet. 



These <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wektNJExGks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">molecules</a>, discovered in a rock sample drilled in 2013, offer fresh insights into the potential of Mars to support life.



The findings suggest that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-curiosity-rover-finds-sulfur-crystals-martian-rock-hints-at-possible-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mars</a> might have hosted more advanced prebiotic chemistry than scientists had assumed.



Inside Curiosity’s onboard mini-lab called SAM, scientists identified three organic molecules: decane, undecane, and dodecane. 



These compounds contain 10, 11, and 12 carbon atoms, respectively. The researchers believe they are remnants of fatty acids.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-fatty-acids-the-basics">Understanding fatty acids - the basics</h2>



On Earth, fatty acids play a big role in the foundation of life - they’re key players in what makes cells work. Alongside proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids, fatty acids help build and maintain living organisms. 



One of their main jobs is forming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-did-the-first-cells-life-form-on-earth-scientists-think-they-finally-figured-it-out/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cell membranes</a>. They link up with other molecules to create phospholipids, which act like a flexible, protective skin around every cell. 



Without fatty acids, cells wouldn’t have that structure or protection, and life as we know it would fall apart - literally.



They also help cells communicate and stay energized. Fatty acids store energy more efficiently than carbs or proteins, so your body taps into them when it needs a long-lasting fuel source. 



Plus, they help make signaling molecules that tell your cells how to grow, heal, and respond to their environment. 



So while they might not get as much attention as DNA or proteins, fatty acids quietly keep the whole operation running behind the scenes.



Detecting these molecules on Mars is a thrilling step. It shows that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/did-mars-once-host-life-we-finally-know-where-to-look/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complex chemistry</a> did occur there.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-awaited-sample-yields-new-surprises">Long-awaited sample yields new surprises</h2>



<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Curiosity</a> drilled into the rock target “Cumberland” on May 19, 2013. The sample came from a location called Yellowknife Bay inside Gale Crater. 



At the time, scientists believed the area resembled an ancient lakebed. That guess turned out to be correct.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mars-Curiosity_Cumberland-rock_sample-drilling_organic-molecules_NASA_1big-1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mars-Curiosity_Cumberland-rock_sample-drilling_organic-molecules_NASA_1s.webp" alt="NASA's Curiosity rover drilled into this rock target, &quot;Cumberland,&quot; and collected a powdered sample of material from the rock's interior. Curiosity used the Mars Hand Lens Imager camera on the rover’s arm to capture this view of the hole in Cumberland on the same sol as the hole was drilled. The diameter of the hole is about 0.6 inches. The depth of the hole is about 2.6 inches. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS" class="wp-image-1963755"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">NASA's Curiosity rover drilled into this rock target, "Cumberland," and collected a powdered sample of material from the rock's interior. Curiosity used the Mars Hand Lens Imager camera on the rover’s arm to capture this view of the hole in Cumberland on the same sol as the hole was drilled. The diameter of the hole is about 0.6 inches. The depth of the hole is about 2.6 inches. Click to enlarge. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS</figcaption></figure>



The rock was rich in clay, sulfur, and nitrates. All three materials help preserve organic compounds. Also present was methane with a carbon signature that, on Earth, often points to the presence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/detecting-life-on-mars-a-breakthrough-in-space-research/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">life</a>.



“There is evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-water-reservoir-discovered-medusae-fossae-formation-two-miles-deep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">liquid water existed</a> in Gale Crater for millions of years and probably much longer, which means there was enough time for life-forming chemistry to happen in these crater-lake environments on Mars,” said Daniel Glavin, senior scientist at NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goddard Space Flight Center</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-serendipitous-discovery-of-molecules">Serendipitous discovery of molecules</h2>



The discovery came during an unrelated experiment. Scientists were searching for amino acids in the Cumberland sample. They heated the sample and measured released gases. 



No amino acids were present. But instead, the experts found small amounts of decane, undecane, and dodecane.



These molecules could have broken off from longer ones during heating. Scientists traced them back to possible parent compounds: undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, and tridecanoic acid.



To confirm their findings, the researchers recreated the process in labs on Earth. They added undecanoic acid to Mars-like clay and heated it. It released decane, just like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wave-ripples-discovered-mars-surface-indicate-liquid-water-present-4-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Martian sample</a> had.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-martian-molecules-may-hint-at-past-life">Martian molecules may hint at past life</h2>



One interesting detail emerged. The detected fatty acids seem longer than those usually formed by geological activity. Non-biological processes tend to produce shorter chains - usually with fewer than 12 carbon atoms.



Cumberland’s molecules had 11 to 13 carbon atoms. That suggests either a unique chemical process or possible signs of past biology. However, SAM’s tools cannot detect the longest chains reliably.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mars-Curiosity_Cumberland-rock_Hydrocarbons_organic-molecules-discovery_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mars-Hydrocarbons_discovery_Curiosity-Rover_Cumberland-rock_illustration_NASA_1s-1.webp" alt="The long-chain organic molecules decane, undecane, and dodecane. These are the largest organic molecules discovered on Mars to date. They were detected in a drilled rock sample called &quot;Cumberland&quot; that was analyzed by the Sample Analysis at Mars lab inside the belly of NASA's Curiosity rover. The rover, whose selfie is on the right side of the image, has been exploring Gale Crater since 2012. An image of the Cumberland drill hole is faintly visible in the background of the molecule chains. Credit: NASA/Dan Gallagher" class="wp-image-1963756"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The long-chain organic molecules decane, undecane, and dodecane. These are the largest organic molecules discovered on Mars to date. They were detected in a drilled rock sample called "Cumberland" that was analyzed by the Sample Analysis at Mars lab inside the belly of NASA's Curiosity rover. The rover, whose selfie is on the right side of the image, has been exploring Gale Crater since 2012. An image of the Cumberland drill hole is faintly visible in the background of the molecule chains. Click to enlarge. Credit: NASA/Dan Gallagher</figcaption></figure>



“Our study proves that, even today, by analyzing Mars samples we could detect chemical signatures of past life, if it ever existed on Mars,” said Caroline Freissinet, the study’s lead author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-matters-for-future-missions">Why this matters for future missions</h2>



The research supports the idea that organic molecules can survive Mars’s harsh conditions. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronauts-can-survive-mars-space-journey-but-their-kidneys-will-be-permanently-damaged/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radiation and oxidation</a> often destroy organic molecules over time. 



The preservation in Cumberland gives scientists hope for future discoveries.



Curiosity’s instruments can only do so much. That’s why scientists are eager to return Mars samples to Earth.



“We are ready to take the next big step and bring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-discovery-of-minerals-on-mars-hints-at-a-habitable-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mars</a> samples home to our labs to settle the debate about life on Mars,” stated Glavin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-search-for-life-linked-molecules">Search for life-linked molecules</h2>



​NASA's Curiosity rover continues its mission inside <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/resource/a-guide-to-gale-crater/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gale Crater</a>, exploring rock layers to better understand Mars’s ancient environments. 



The Sample Analysis at Mars (<a href="https://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/sam/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SAM</a>) tool remains key to these investigations. Every new sample adds another clue to a much larger puzzle.



With each discovery, scientists move one step closer to exploring one of the oldest and most profound questions we’ve ever asked: Did life ever exist on Mars, and if so, what traces of it remain locked beneath the planet’s surface?



<a href="https://youtu.be/wektNJExGks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Watch NASA's video about this discovery here...</a>



-----



This research was supported by NASA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mars Exploration Program</a>.&nbsp;Curiosity is managed by NASA’s&nbsp;Jet Propulsion Laboratory (<a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-science-laboratory-curiosity-rover-msl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JPL</a>)&nbsp;in Southern California.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Centre National d'Études Spatiales (<a href="https://cnes.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNES</a>), the French Space Agency, contributed to SAM’s gas chromatograph system.​



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2420580122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Mars rover makes the most significant find yet in the search for alien life

NASA’s Curiosity rover has made another remarkable discovery on Mars...

We all know how tempting it is to scroll through our phones or other screens before bed - just one more video, one more post. But new research shows that bedtime tech use may be robbing you of rest.



A survey of over 45,000 young adults in Norway found that using screens after going to bed increases the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insomnia-increases-heart-attack-risk-by-69-percent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insomnia</a> by nearly 60% and cuts sleep time by about 24 minutes each night. The study was led by researchers from the <a href="https://www.fhi.no/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Norwegian Institute of Public Health</a>.



The research was focused on students in full-time higher education, aged 18 to 28, and explored the impact of different screen activities - from social media and gaming to podcasts and studying - on sleep habits and quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-sleep-screen-connection">The sleep-screen connection</h2>



Sleep is essential for our physical health, mental well-being, and academic performance. Yet many people struggle to get enough rest. One possible reason? Screens in bed.



According to the researchers, screen use in bed can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-who-watch-screens-in-bed-have-the-most-disrupted-sleep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">disrupt sleep</a> in multiple ways. Notifications may interrupt sleep cycles, screen time can reduce total sleep duration, and engaging content might delay the onset of sleep. 



Additionally, the light emitted by screens can interfere with the body's internal clock.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evaluating-screen-use-among-students">Evaluating screen use among students </h2>



The team used the 2022 Students’ Health and Wellbeing Survey, a nationally representative study of Norwegian students, to gather data. 



Participants were asked if they used screens after going to bed and how long they used them. The students also reported on the nature of their screen use - whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scrolling-online-videos-is-not-a-good-cure-for-boredom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watching videos</a>, gaming, scrolling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/goldilocks-amount-of-social-media-time-may-protect-teens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social media</a>, listening to audio, browsing the internet, or reading study materials.



The individuals shared details about their sleep habits: when they went to bed and woke up, how long it took to fall asleep, how often they had trouble sleeping, how sleepy they felt during the day, and how long their sleep issues lasted.



Insomnia in this study was defined as experiencing both nighttime sleep difficulties and daytime sleepiness at least three times a week for three months or more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-screen-activity-was-irrelevant">Screen activity was irrelevant </h2>



Surprisingly, the researchers didn’t find social media to be any worse than other screen-based activities when it came to disrupting sleep.



“The type of screen activity does not appear to matter as much as the overall time spent using screens in bed,” said Dr. Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland, lead author of the study. 



“We found no significant differences between social media and other screen activities, suggesting that screen use itself is the key factor in sleep disruption - likely due to time displacement, where screen use delays sleep by taking up time that would otherwise be spent resting.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sleep-suffers-from-screen-use-in-bed">Sleep suffers from screen use in bed</h2>



Participants were grouped into three categories: those who only used social media in bed, those who used screens but not for social media, and those who engaged in a mix of activities that included social media. 



Across the board, the more time they spent on screens after lights-out, the more their sleep suffered.



An extra hour of screen time after bedtime increased the chances of insomnia symptoms by 59%. It also shortened sleep duration by an average of 24 minutes. 



But the specific activity - whether social media or otherwise - didn’t appear to make a difference.



“Given the widespread use of screens in bed we aimed to explore the relationship between different screen activities and sleep patterns,” added Hjetland. 



“We expected that social media use might be more strongly associated with poorer sleep, given its interactive nature and potential for emotional stimulation.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-for-a-digital-curfew">Time for a digital curfew?</h2>



If screen time is cutting into your sleep, experts say there are simple ways to adjust.



“If you struggle with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-night-of-lost-sleep-can-trigger-hidden-health-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a> and suspect that screen time may be a factor, try to reduce screen use in bed, ideally stopping at least 30–60 minutes before sleep,” Hjetland advised. “If you do use screens, consider disabling notifications to minimize disruptions during the night.”



However, the researchers caution that the study was conducted within a single cultural context - Norway.



Sleep habits and technology use may differ across regions. Additionally, some screen activities that may affect sleep in unique ways, like gaming or listening to music, were grouped together. That means the effect of each activity might not be fully understood.



“This study cannot determine causality - for example, whether screen use causes insomnia or if students with insomnia use screens more,” noted Hjetland. “The study also did not include physiological assessments, which could provide more precise insights into sleep patterns.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-screen-use-changes-before-bed">Screen use changes before bed</h2>



While more research is needed, this large-scale survey adds to growing evidence that screen use at bedtime may not be doing your sleep any favors. 



If your nights feel restless and your days feel sluggish, it may be worth reevaluating how - and when - you use your phone.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1548273/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Psychiatry</a>.



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Put the phone down: Screen use in bed linked to insomnia

We all know how tempting it is to scroll through...

Every year, humpback whales in the southeastern Pacific make a long and difficult journey. They travel up to 10,000 kilometers from Central and South America to their feeding grounds in Antarctica.



But how do they know when it's time to leave? According to new research, these whales rely on both real-time changes in their environment and long-term memories of past ocean conditions to time their migrations.



The study, led by scientists from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McGill University</a>, used eight years of satellite tracking data collected between 2009 and 2016. The team tracked 42 humpback whales tagged near Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador.



By following the whales' movements southward to Antarctica, the researchers hoped to understand what cues triggered their annual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noise-pollution-is-increasingly-disrupting-whale-migration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migration</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whales-use-memory-to-time-their-journey">Whales use memory to time their journey</h2>



The study revealed that whales respond to local cues such as sea surface temperature and food availability.



But they don’t rely solely on current conditions. They also seem to remember when food was most abundant in the Southern Ocean during previous years.



That memory, combined with what’s happening around them, helps them decide when to go.



“They seem to know that changes happening in their immediate environment are linked to conditions thousands of kilometers away,” said Professor Virginie Millien. “This allows them to fine-tune their migration, so they arrive just as their food supply peaks.”



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humpback-whale-reproduction-is-linked-to-krill-abundance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Krill</a>, a small crustacean, is the whales’ main food source in Antarctica. Each year, krill populations bloom during a specific seasonal window. 



For centuries, whales have timed their migration to match this pattern. But that rhythm is now being disrupted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-whales-keep-up-with-climate-change">Can whales keep up with climate change?</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/krill-face-a-double-whammy-of-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warmer oceans</a> and changes in sea ice are beginning to shift the timing of the krill bloom. Even though whales are adjusting their departures, climate change may be moving too fast for them to keep up.



“We don't know how long they'll be able to keep up,” said Millien. “Every year since 2016 has been the warmest on record, and that pattern is speeding up. At some point, their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blue-whales-memories-feeding-sites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">memory-based</a> strategy may no longer work.”



The study also revealed notable differences in how males and females migrate. Male humpbacks tend to travel more quickly and take direct paths. 



In contrast, females - especially those with calves - stick to the coast. Their route is slower but possibly safer, giving their young time to rest and stay away from predators.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-delicate-balance-of-marine-ecosystems">Delicate balance of marine ecosystems </h2>



These findings have important implications for conservation. As ship traffic increases along coastal routes, so do the dangers whales face.



Collisions with vessels and disturbances to their migration corridors can have serious effects on whale populations.



“This research provides the data needed to inform conservation efforts,” said Hector Guzman of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. “It's not just about protecting whales; it's about preserving the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.”



The researchers emphasize the need to safeguard migration routes and feeding zones, especially as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-a-warming-climate-will-change-the-humpback-whales-diet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate continues to shift</a>. Protecting these areas doesn’t just benefit whales - it supports the entire marine food web.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-whales-matter-more-than-ever">Why whales matter more than ever</h2>



Whales are amazing animals that help keep oceans and seas healthy. As they move, whales consume food and excrete waste - assisting with the distribution of nutrients in the water body.



This enables the growth of phytoplankton and other microscopic plants which take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. Thus, whales make a direct contribution to the food webs of the ocean and the climate on land.



Their existence also boosts biodiversity, creating new feeding opportunities for other marine creatures that depend on nutrient-rich zones. 



If whale populations are decimated, the productivity of the ocean will decline. As waters undergo more drastic changes, the survival of humpback whales is crucial.



Observations of humpback whales provide researchers with insights into the limits of ecosystem resilience and the measures needed to prevent collapse. From this perspective, protecting whales becomes a priority, along with assessing the overall health and stability of the oceans.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-87489-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Whales in hot water: Will climate change disrupt their migration?

Every year, humpback whales in the southeastern Pacific make a...

The climate crisis no longer lies in the future. It is unfolding now, reshaping lives, ecosystems, and economies with each passing year. Extreme weather, deadly air, rising seas, and shrinking habitats are no longer predictions. They are our reality. 



Behind much of this damage stands a powerful engine: fossil fuels. From coal plants to gas flares, fossil fuel use drives the most pressing crises of our time.



A new review published in Oxford Open Climate Change delivers this message with renewed clarity. Scientists from leading institutions have reviewed extensive data and issued a unified warning.



Fossil fuels, they say, are not just damaging the climate. They are fueling health crises, destroying biodiversity, worsening <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental injustice</a>, and choking the planet with plastic and chemical waste.



The United States plays a major role in these challenges. As the largest oil and gas producer, the country drives much of the damage. The review calls for a full shift to clean, renewable energy. This shift must happen rapidly and fairly across all economic sectors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extensive-harm-from-burning-fossil-fuels">Extensive harm from burning fossil fuels</h2>



“The science can’t be any clearer that fossil fuels are killing us,” said Dr. Shaye Wolf, lead author of the review and climate science director at the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Biological Diversity</a>.



“Oil, gas and coal will continue to condemn us to more deaths, wildlife extinctions and extreme weather disasters unless we make dirty fossil fuels a thing of the past. Clean, renewable energy is here, it’s affordable, and it will save millions of lives and trillions of dollars once we make it the centerpiece of our economy.”



Fossil fuels drive about 90% of human-caused carbon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-accelerating-beyond-control-as-co2-levels-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a>. These emissions warm the planet and acidify oceans. They also fuel deadly weather events. 



On top of this, fossil fuel pollution causes millions of premature deaths globally every year. In the U.S. alone, hundreds of thousands die early due to air pollution.



The review links climate change to worsening disease spread, food insecurity, and forced migration. These add new layers of suffering, especially in already vulnerable populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-call-for-immediate-action">A call for immediate action</h2>



Governments must act now. The scientists call for an end to fossil fuel expansion. Existing fossil fuel projects should be phased out. Only strong, immediate policy action can limit the mounting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-constantly-reshuffling-earths-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">damages</a>.



“Fossil fuel pollution impacts health at every stage of life, with elevated risks for conditions ranging from premature births to childhood leukemia and severe depression,” said Dr. David J.X. González, assistant professor at <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UC Berkeley</a>.



“We’ve got to work fast to end fossil fuel operations near our homes, schools and hospitals and trade fossil fuel infrastructure for healthy, clean energy.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-injustice-due-to-fossil-fuels">Environmental injustice due to fossil fuels</h2>



The report also highlights racial and economic disparities. Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods bear the brunt of fossil fuel pollution. Historic policies like redlining have trapped many in toxic zones.



“Decades of discriminatory policies, such as redlining, have concentrated fossil fuel development in Black, Brown, Indigenous and poor white communities, resulting in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-shrinking-earths-atmosphere-and-thats-bad-for-satellites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">devastating consequences</a>,” said Dr. Robin Saha from the <a href="https://www.umt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Montana</a>.



“For far too long, these fenceline communities have been treated as sacrifice zones by greedy, callous industries. The most polluted communities should be prioritized for clean energy investments and removal and cleanup of dirty fossil fuel infrastructure.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extinction-risks-and-plastic-pollution">Extinction risks and plastic pollution</h2>



Unchecked fossil fuel use could wipe out up to one-third of animal and plant species in the next 50 years. 



To protect ecosystems, renewable energy infrastructure must avoid damaging natural habitats. Instead, it should be placed in developed areas whenever possible.



The review also focuses on plastics. Fossil fuel companies ramp up plastic production, increasing pollution across air, water, and food systems. These pollutants harm wildlife and people alike.



The scientists urge bold targets to cut primary plastic production. They also push for alternatives to plastic and more sustainable farming methods. These shifts can reduce petrochemical pollution from pesticides and fertilizers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decades-of-disinformation">Decades of disinformation</h2>



A major barrier that stands in the way of progress is industry propaganda.



“The fossil fuel industry has spent decades misleading us about the harms of their products and working to prevent meaningful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-ice-age-cycles-are-predictable-but-humans-may-change-that/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate action</a>,” said Naomi Oreskes, professor at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a>. 



“Perversely, our governments continue to give out hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to this damaging industry. It is past time that stops.”



The review ends with a clear message: We have the tools to change course. What’s needed now is political will.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/oocc/article/5/1/kgaf011/8099165" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oxford Open Climate Change</a>.



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Fossil fuel pollution is causing disease, disaster, and extinction

The climate crisis no longer lies in the future. It...

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